WASHINGTON, Jan 17: Lithium-ion batteries similar to those that prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to ground Boeing Co’s new 787 airliner yesterday are also used on satellites and the US military’s new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
Smaller-scale lithium-ion batteries have been used for more than 20 years to power laptops and other electronics. They are also increasingly popular in electric cars.
Following are some key facts about the batteries used on board the 787, and the lithium-ion battery technology, which allows batteries to be lighter and store far more energy.
– Boeing’s new 787 airliner uses two lithium-ion batteries made by the Japanese company GS Yuasa Corp, with the associated control circuits made by Thales SA. They are part of an auxiliary power unit supplied by UTC Aerospace, a unit of United Technologies Corp, that provides power while the airplane is on the ground.
– The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, built by Lockheed Martin Corp, uses a similar lithium-ion battery but it is built by a different manufacturer, France’s Saft Groupe SA. Lockheed said it did not expect any impact on the Pentagon’s largest weapons program from the Boeing grounding since the batteries were built by a different company.
– The Airbus A350 airliner built by Europe’s EADS is also due to use a lithium-ion battery made by Saft. That plane is due for its first flight this year.
– Several other aircraft, including the Airbus A380 and Boeing’s 787, use smaller lithium batteries for emergency lighting and other purposes.
– Lithium-ion batteries can catch fire if they are overcharged, and once alight they are difficult to extinguish because the chemicals produce oxygen. But Boeing said it designed multiple systems to prevent overcharging, contain a battery fire and siphon smoke away before it reaches the cabin.
– Boeing said the battery it uses on the 787 is about twice as large as a car battery and has been extensively tested, both in the lab and in operation. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said the auxiliary power unit battery that caught fire on January 7 at Boston’s Logan International Airport weighed about 63 pounds and measured 19 inches by 13 inches by 10.2 inches.
(AGENCIES)
Follow our WhatsApp channel